Lest you believe

…I had a perfect day yesterday — I managed to spill part of a root beer float and then sat on it whilst getting in my car.

The indignity of it all.

However my ice cream cone — that I did not drop a bit of whatsoever — was mighty tasty.
———–
AND THEN — went to a Starlight Radio concert in B-town. It was at a nature preserve. Did I think for one minute that it was an OUTDOOR venue and LAWN CHAIRS might be nice to sit on?

Oh no.

So I stood during the concert-where-everyone-else-was-seated, hoping that I didn’t put the musicians off any…

…until DH went back home, grabbed the chairs, and came back — an eighteen mile round trip.
———–
Today however was putt-putting right along — really busy at work and the time went fairly fast. Got home after work and told Soph we were going for an uptown walkie, when I saw the answering machine blinking.

“This is so-and-so. We need to schedule your house appraisal.”

Now doesn’t this look nice?

I knew this was coming — we are refinancing our house with the idea of getting it paid for before we <insert hysterical laughter> retire.

I was hoping for just one of those “drive by” kind of appraisals — silliness sometimes reigns in my head — but I guess it should be done properly.

So how in the world am I suppose to get this place put together for a decent first impression? We always have the “lived in look” downstairs, which doesn’t bother me much — but the upstairs! Egads! It’s basically storage and stuff strewn about — not the two bedroom area it should be.

…and the basement. That has to be DH’s realm…

———–

Did I mention that we are also getting ready to go on vacation?

———–

NP: The tv weatherman, two fans and the air conditioner

What’s Soph doing? Pushing around her food cube. You should see her — she could do quite well in soccer.

Mood-o-meter: exasperated

It is a bit warmish out…

…so instead of a walkie, Sopher and I are playing a game.

It doesn’t have a name. I wouldn’t call it “fetch” exactly. It’s more of an “exchange.”

To play this game you need several destuffed stuffed animals with holes in them. Take two of the bigger formerly stuffed stuffed animals and shove in smaller stuffless animals.

You now have  two stuffed animals that are full of formerly stuffed animals.

Throw one of the now-stuffed (formerly unstuffed stuffed) animals for Sophie to catch. Whilst she is catching it, hold out the other newly stuffed animal out for her see — shaking it vigorously, but not so’s to make the small destuffed animals to come out.

Sophie then abandons the first animal — which she has had time to destuff — and is attracted to the second fully stuffed animal.

Throw it! She will chase it!

Then go get the first unstuffed stuffed then destuffed animal and restuff it.

Repeat.

Now isn’t that fun?

*************

NP: The local weathercast.

On the telly tonight: Lark Rise To Candle…was it “ford?”

Dinner tonight: BBQ, carrots, coleslaw.

Mood-o-meter: A bit excited. I may have found a new source for Cook family genealogy info from a relative in Massachusetts! Also a bit down: DH will be working late tonight.

Nora Barlow columbine

I thought she was a goner, as in: none of these came up last year from the year before…

…sooo pretty!

NP: Nada. There is nothing on TV. I just might have a go at the book I’m tryng to read.

Where’s Soph?: On her perch, looking out the window.

Mood: Meh.

Don’t know who that was

…posting on my blog yesterday.

Throw myself on the floor?!

Haven’t done that in quite awhile.

Sorry about all that pouting.

**********

Here. Take a look at my cairn terrier!

Look at that smile.

I wonder if she knows she starts obedience training on Saturday.

Sophie quirks:

• The bathroom and bedroom doors must be pulled shut. Otherwise she sits and whines at both. Shut the door? She stops.
• She doesn’t like things out of their place. What?! Who put my toys on my chair!? Just watch me take ‘em off… What?! Who put my toys on the back of the couch?! Must move them…
• She doesn’t like Dad-dee reading a book. Dad settles into his recliner to read? Sophie jumps up and is right in his face.

*********

I wore a navy and a black sock to work today.

*********

I OD’d on television last night:

• Chuck – he DOES resemble Jim on The Office
• 24 — Jack Jack Jack
• Castle — Captain Reynolds in a brighter mood.

May have to shift some of that viewing to Tuesday night while Fringe is on hiatus.

…stamps foot.

I don’t like the time change.

I don’t want to get out of my jammies.

My favorite mug has a chip on the edge of it.

Guess I’ll throw myself on the floor.

**********

NP: Morning news. What a downer.

Where’s Sophie? In the living room, destroying a furry toy I got her just Saturday…

Weather? A lull in the rain, but more is coming

Let’s just say this

I am not taking it well that Southern Cousin was let go from work this week.

Pretty much all the interaction I had with people was at the co-worker level  before we became acquainted, and I am not happy that forty hours of my life has reverted to that scenario.

It was refreshing to have things in common outside of work with someone. I became less hermit-like.

I really can’t stand it.

To read only the tip of iceberg of our many adventures, just search on Southern Cousin.

It’s Monday. All over the place.

And I hit a bird on the way to work this morning.

Zooming down the highway in the recently oil-changed-and-freshly-washed Grand Am, with Stevie Nicks singing “Rhiannon” …

“Once in a million years a lady like her rises…”

Thump…

Dee-thump…

What?!

Quick check in the rearview and sure enough — the poor little thing was lying in the middle of the southbound lane.

ARGH!!! Now what did your mother tell you, little birdie?! Look both ways before soaring through a highway, right!!?

You poor, poor thing …

The rest of my drive in was rather somber.

Southern Cousin stopped by my cube soon after I arrived.

“Morning…” she said with a slight pause.

“There’s nothing good about it,” I replied.

“Oh but notice…I didn’t say “good” morning…”

“Okay then. Cuz it’s not.”

I told her my birdie story and she told me hers of a week and a half ago. A lot of that seems to be going around.

So, as silly as it probably seems, I’ve been in a mopey mood all day long.

…because I am getting snarly…

…and because she asked her readers nicely, I think I will attempt numbers 3 and 4 of the Proverbs Woman Challenge as presented by The Christian Homekeeper.

Number one is already in the bag as I get up at 5:30 AM nearly everyday… but then of course I need, but don’t get, a nap around 2 PM. As for number two, getting ready for the day, I’m either on hyperdrive or piddle-around drive — depending on my gee-I’d-better-go-to-work glance at the clock — as DH is the only one at home.

So does that mean I am half way there? Nope. I’ve got the “biggies” to contend with. I see a long disrupted schedule ahead of me throughout the month of March and beyond. Either I keep my head on straight, or what was it that Bilbo always said:

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Right now, I could use a double dose of “steady on” — I’m forgetting things, feeling scatter-brained — more than usual — and like I said, getting snarly. Remember the guy who spun all those plates on poles on the Ed Sullivan show? I think I would have broken a dozen plates by now.

So we will see…enough of the doom and gloom stuff…

On the cooking front, I have two cheesecakes a-cooling in the kitchen…

At work, my birthday alert limerick email in regards to Southern Cousin’s special day was met with approval from the recipients…now if they just abide by my reminder limerick and bring in the food on Friday

I have no fear of drowning; it’s the breathing that’s taking all this work…

NP: Good Monsters by Jars of Clay…

The first cut (Work) on Jar’s latest CD lends itself in several ways to my overlaying situations we have been dealing with, like forever…

I have no fear of drowning; it’s the breathing that’s taking all this work is the phrase that caught my ear. Now there is no question that while my discussions with God have been a bit intense lately, I don’t particularly feel alone or completely adrift. I full well know that other people have more dire stuff going on — and sadly with less resources to call on.

I guess I am just tired.

DH and I have managed to laugh a bit through this stretch of ridiculously inane events. It’s good to know that the humor-o-meter is working, although flickering fitfully:

You may remember that our car quit on us this past weekend. Well, Tuesday she was towed to the local car dealership to get diagnosed and repaired. Sure enough it was the ignition switch — all covered by our extended warranty, less a deductible…and towing. But okay, we can deal with that. However, the part was not in stock — they’d be getting it in Wednesday afternoon and she’d be ready to go.

So I make arrangements with a friend at work to shuttle me around to the dealership after work and we’d have the car business taken care of.

I called the dealership late in the day to see if the car was ready. “Mrs. Mumsflowers, let me put you on hold… Oh…Um, we didn’t get any parts delivery today… I’m sorry…”

Hmm…okay…

Thursday. This time I call early in the morning to make arrangements for the dealership to drop the car off at our house. That wasn’t a problem.

You have my address, right?

Yes, Mrs. Mumsflowers, we have your address.

So I go about my business at work…it’s month end, a co-worker is off due to surgery, we are all trying to fill in the gaps…and I have DH’s shoulder/knee injury situation swirling around in the background.

My phone rings. It’s DH.

The dealership called…the part is on back order. The car won’t be ready until next week…

Okay FINE!

Whatever.

Friday. The weekend weather is going to tank once again. It’s likely that I’ll be still driving DH’s work car to his next doctor’s appointment on Monday. Well that should be fun. I go to work. People are finding out that’s something is up in my household, what with me being in a different car and working weird hours to make up my lost time. Yep, DH had an accident back in November…

My phone rings. Mrs. Mumsflowers? Uh, yes — it’s good news…the part came in and your car will be ready today…yes, we have your address and will be delivering your car…

Now why do I have this nagging feeling that all is still not well…

So after work Friday I have my itinery all mapped out: go pay for the repair work before the dealership closes; backtrack to the bank to make a deposit; head towards home, stopping at the gas station along the way.

On the way home I saw my nagging feeling fully manifested…

There sat my car — delivered to the wrong address.

I don’t know what’s up with our town, but there happens to be a north AND south address with the same house number on the street/highway we live on.

We are north and my car is sitting south.

I fly into the house sputtering incoherently. Poor DH. He didn’t think the car had been delivered, but wasn’t sure. He’s hobbling around with a cane and it’s hard to see up and down our drive.

I throw on my winter coat and hoof it clear across town full speed ahead full of steam — good grief! I don’t think my calves will ever forgive me. They weren’t exactly cooperating very well by the time I got to the highway intersection.

Fortunately the south address is a house turned into apartments, so an extra car here or there didn’t seem to matter. I hopped in the driver’s seat and away home we went.

I called to politely complain and ended up getting an apology from the GM and a coupon for a free oil change would be coming to me in the mail.

…in the mail.

You see where this is going, right…?

Comfort food, anyone?

I am baking oatmeal cookies tonight.

I spied this recipe on the “Joy of Baking” website. It has turned out to be more labor intensive than my habit of just placing Schwan’s frozen chocolate chip dough on the cooke sheet , however the results have been m-m-m-good! Crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside…heaven, I’m in heaven…The extra work to turn these yummy things out is more than worth it! Once again I made use of parchment paper and find that I wouldn’t like baking without it.

The reasons for baking this evening are two-fold:

First, the finance and IT departments are bringing in treats to celebrate a co-worker’s birthday tomorrow. I usually bring the ol’ Schwan-brand cookies. There’s a fellow in the IT crowd thinks they are the cat’s pajamas. Up until recently I’ve kept him guessing as whether I make them or simply BAKE them, if you get my drift — but he might be on to me. Said his wife baked some from Schwan that taste suspiciously like mine… Oh well. I might make/bake them again in a pinch, but I’ve been in the “real recipe” mode lately.

Secondly, a very long story short: my DH has to have surgery on his shoulder. It is a work related injury. It’s put his job in jeopardy. Our stress-o-meter is smokin’… Can’t do much about the inevitable except pray and eat oatmeal cookies.

Well, and maybe watch The Office tonight…